Cat lovers in New York State are rejoicing today. Governor Andrew M. Cuomo signed legislation (S.5532B/A.1303) that bans the declawing of cats in New York and the bill takes effect immediately. New York, the first state in the nation to ban the procedure of cat declawing, leads the way for others to follow.
“Declawing is a cruel and painful procedure that can create physical and behavioral problems for helpless animals and today it stops,” Governor Cuomo said. “By banning this archaic practice, we will ensure that animals are no longer subjected to these inhumane and unnecessary procedures.”
Courtesy NY Post
“We want to take this opportunity to thank Governor Cuomo for protecting companion cats by signing the declawing bill, A1303-A, into law,” said Joanne Yohannan, Senior Vice President, Operations, North Shore Animal League America. “This law is long overdue and will protect cats from the barbaric practice of declawing.”
NY State Assembly Member, Linda B. Rosenthal, who first sponsored the bill, feels that “it’s a wonderful day for the cats of the state and the people who love them….New York has been catapulted onto the leaderboard of humane states, and we expect other states to quickly follow in our footsteps.”
Under the new legislation, the only time a declawing procedure can be performed would be “when necessary for a therapeutic purpose.” Therapeutic purpose “means the necessity to address the physical medical condition of the cat, such as an existing or recurring illness, infection, disease, injury or abnormal condition in the claw that compromises the cat’s health.” This clearly leaves out any cosmetic, aesthetic or convenience reasons in keeping or handling a cat. The civil penalty for anyone violating this law would be a fine of up to $1,000.